According to a Colorado University study published in Science and described in ScienceDaily, a “values affirmation” writing exercise in an intro physics class helped female students raise their grades and improve their mastery of the material.

The researchers believe that the writing assuaged students’ stress as they ventured into a field where stereotypes often cast women in a negative light. Even female students who embraced the stereotype did better after writing about the values most important to them, such as “relationships with family and friends.”